Blue Christmas
by emeraldislegirl
Summary: An AU Richonne Christmas story inspired by Elvis' "Blue Christmas". Two colleagues at different low points at Christmas somehow manage to find each other and Santa leaves a little extra under the tree. Note: I don't own these characters.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: for ringleader1010 I hope you like it.

It was Christmas Eve, but Michonne Marquand was still sequestered in her corner office plugging away at her opening statement. The trial was six weeks away, but she was fine-tuning her statement. She didn't believe in leaving things to the last minute. It wasn't like she had a place to be anyway.

Earlier that day, her soon to be ex-husband came by to collect their son, Andre from the annual kids Christmas party her office held. Aaron would keep their son until four o'clock tomorrow, at which time, he would drop him off at the lake house.

It was going to be a small Christmas this year. Her family was initially supposed to spend it with her parents and siblings on a Caribbean getaway on the Emerald Isle, a little gem known as Montserrat. It was the birthplace of her mother, Marianna King nee Williams. It was carnival time there and it was supposed to be a happy time for the family. It was the only time this year that everyone's agendas seemed to sync naturally without having to sacrifice other engagements. But no, her husband and her best friend, Aaron Marquand decided to come out to her at Thanksgiving and asked for a divorce. Her parents offered to cancel the family getaway, but she insisted they go. It wasn't fair to ruin the rest of the family's holiday because she wouldn't be the best company at any rate.

After the initial shock which caused her to miss a week off work, she decided to move on with her life. Counselling was never going to fix their marriage anyway, it wasn't like she could compete with her husband's lover, the cards were stacked against her, so why waste time. They signed the divorce papers the week she took off work. It wasn't going to be a protracted affair. She would naturally get custody of their son and their assets would be divided equally, though because of the infidelity she could have insisted on more, she didn't. She wanted their divorce to be as amicable as possible because drama would change nothing but cause a rift and disrupt their son's life.

She also got herself tested just to be sure there'd be no other surprises later on down the road. Her husband assured her he was clean because he always used protection and tested regularly, but he also promised her forevermore and look how that turned out. Her test was negative.

Even though she wore a brave face in public, Michonne still questioned herself in private. She and Aaron were best friends, how did she not know? What did she not do enough of? What could she have done better? Since Aaron's announcement, she often asked herself wondering whether she had undermined his masculinity in some way? Was there something wrong with her? All these questions were all useless of course, but it was her way of checking all the boxes on the form before signing her life away.

In their family life, she was nothing like her work persona. If anything, she ceded all control to him allowing her softer gentler side to prevail in an environment where she didn't have to prove something. She knew her male co-workers called her the 'Ballbreaker' behind her back. But being born female and a visible minority, she was raised being told she had to be twice as good as everyone else to succeed in whatever she did, it mattered not that she worked for her father. Her older brother Tyrese already had a seat at the table and had to earn his way there. However, she was smarter than her brother and she was on track to becoming a junior partner before she turned thirty-four. Ty got the nod at thirty-seven, but Michonne half suspected it was because she was gaining on him and sooner or later she would overpass him. Her father didn't believe in handouts, but she knew the score when she got a brand new car a few months back when she turned thirty-two which was shortly after Ty's promotion. Their sister Sasha, however, avoided the competitiveness between her elder siblings simply by following in their mother's footsteps and went to med school instead.

Nonetheless, Michonne worked tirelessly, but once she walked through the front door, she was a wife and a mother.

Aaron, on the other hand, being the head of an NGO, he travelled often. It was obviously the perfect job to cover his extracurricular activities. But whether home or abroad his family was forefront in his mind or at least so it appeared. He had never missed a birthday nor an anniversary. He was there at her side coaching her through her lamaze classes and at their son's birth. Sure, he did miss some milestones, but so did she. But at no time could it be argued that their son suffered from lack of affection, quite the contrary, he probably had too much of it, but he wasn't spoiled.

Andre was a happy go lucky well adjusted four-year-old, whom his grandfather nicknamed, the little man. He was a three-foot energetic ball of movement with honey coloured skin, the cutest dimples and soft wavy brown curls and pink lips like his daddy, but he had his mother's chocolate eyes and her megawatts smile.

Aaron was her rock, her lighthouse when the storms rolled in, her haven, her one… her love and her best friend. He was the father of their son. Her friends envied the seamlessness of their marriage. On girls night they'd rant and often comment on how attentive and so in tune with one another they were. Wishing they could have a husband with at least an iota of his ability to be so attuned to their needs rather than being expected to be their mama when the man flu came raging in.

Well, it would seem the joke was on her because she had all that, but now she was husbandless because the man who took her innocence and swore to love her in sickness and in health, for better or for worse now swore: "it's not you, it's me."

Aaron moved out right after Thanksgiving, leaving her with having to explain to their four-year-old son why daddy no longer came home. Theirs was a loving relationship from since they were kids. He was her first everything. They were the ideal couple, no drama and never having to say 'I'm sorry', but that was all before Thanksgiving.

* * *

Rick Grimes sat alone in his office, it was three-thirty in the afternoon and the folks with young children had left shortly after Santa aka himself disappeared hours before. He had since spoken with his son, Carl and promised to pick him up around four o'clock for Christmas dinner with his grandparents, after which time they would open their gifts because they were about to usher in a new tradition.

The remainder of this wretched day, however, he was destined to be alone when most folks were gathering together with their families for the holidays.

His parents extended an invitation to dinner, which he had not yet decide whether or not he wanted to exercise that option. He would be spending the better part of Christmas with them and his son, so he made no commitment one way or another. At the very least, he could pick up something and spend a quiet night at his condo before heading out to his folks the next morning.

Rick looked to the right of his desk as he reached across to turn off his desk lamp, his eyes landed on the photo of his son, it was the only photo now gracing his office, and shook his head. It was going to be the first Christmas he would spend without his family and as such, he had been in no rush to leave the office and rush home to an empty condo, so he did as much as he could to tie up loose ends on his files, but avoided starting anything new, which would more than likely result in him remaining at the office even longer.

He powered off his laptop and placed it in his briefcase along with a transcript of the deposition, which his assistant had left out at his request.

He reached for his cashmere jacket and put it over his blue sweater which made his blue eyes pop. Today, his attire was relaxed. He also wore a pair of charcoal jeans with his favourite cowboy boots.

Rick closed the overhead lights, exited his office, and locked the door behind him.

As a general rule, whomsoever left the office last would do a walk-through of the office to ensure the copying offices were secured. That afternoon, however, as he walked by Michonne's office he realized she was still there. He knocked on the door. She looked up.

"Hey," he said standing in the doorway of her office.

"Hey, yourself," she replied with a smile.

"I thought you left."

"No. I've been catching up on some work." She checked her watch realizing it was much later than she had intended to stay given that she had an hour drive to the lake house. "Matter of fact I'm about done here too."

She turned off her laptop and packed it away in her open briefcase and closed it. She got up from her desk, retrieved her Burberry Shearling Car Coat from the white leather couch in her office and put it on.

He watched her svelte form as it emerged from behind the glass desk in a red sweater dress that clung to her body like a second skin, black, high-heeled, knee-high leather boots with all the grace of a panther. She was definitely a strikingly beautiful woman, but she was also Ezekiel's daughter; the boss' daughter whose life was just as messed up as his.

She was no longer the girl that he sat next to in torts class on their first day of law school. Then, his deterrent was the sizable pear-shaped rock on her left hand that announced to the world she was unavailable. Now, he knew they were both trying to avoid going home an empty house, so he asks, "Would you care to grab a bite to eat?"

"I thought Santa's duties were over and done with a while ago." She teased.

He chuckled and blushed looking away from her for a second. "Yeah. They were, but like you, I had stuff and thangs to do."

"Thanks for the invite, but my card is pretty full this evening, I have a guy to see about a tree, another about a bottle or two, and a third about some Chinese food, but miles to drive before all that."

Rick looked a little disappointed and scratched his head, so she added, "perhaps another time counselor?"

"Sure. Can I at least walk you to your car?"

"Thanks, I'd like that."

* * *

Later that evening having run her errands, showered, and placed an order for delivery, Michonne opened a bottle of Pinot Gris and set about to start a fire. She then cued her Christmas tree trimming playlist to get her somewhat in the mood for the task at hand.

It was time to tackle the Christmas tree. This year she chose one much smaller than what she was accustomed to because it was all up to her to this year to ensure that Christmas was a success. If it was up to her alone, she'd forego Christmas this year because she wasn't feeling at all festive.

Twenty minutes later, Michonne managed to get the tree off the roof of the car and dragged it through the now falling snow into the living room. What a damn mess… why didn't I just settle for a fake tree? She thought. Despite the mess, she knew she loved the scent of that fresh pine smell mingled with cinnamon… there was nothing quite like it. Another glass of wine helped make the task at hand more tolerable.

It was almost an hour and a half later, but her food had not shown up. This was unusual even on a night like this. She was a regular customer and this was her comfort food whenever they were in the countryside. The tree and wine had kept her busy she hadn't noticed the time pass. That said, however, she was starting to feel the effects of the wine on an empty stomach.

It was customary to have their takeout prior to trimming the tree. After dinner, Aaron would wrangle the tree and then watch over the little man as she trimmed the tree. It would end with Aaron lifting Andre up to place the star on top of the tree, something he enjoyed and made him giggle… a lot. Her and Aaron would sing carols and sip eggnog and the family would cozy up on the couch after setting out milk and cookies for Santa. Then they would watch Disney specials until such time Andre fell asleep. He always wanted to wait up for Santa, but somehow never succeeds. There used to be so much love in this place, but tonight, however, it just felt empty.

Almost as if on cue, the mournful sound of Elvis Presley's "Blue Christmas" filled the room. The song was hitting home tonight. She had never felt so alone in her entire adult life. She was missing the memories they created in this place and she truly missed her son. She missed Aaron too, but that wasn't allowed anymore, he wasn't hers and for once she allowed the impact to sink in as she cried yet again.

Drying her tears, Michonne drained her glass of wine and went off in search of her phone. She had to speak to her son before bedtime.

…

"Hey, baby. How are you, sweetie?"

"Mama? Where's Santa?"

"Oh, sweetie, you know Santa only comes after we go to bed. The sooner you fall asleep, the sooner he'll show up."

"Okay, Mama. When do I see you, Mama?"

"Mama will see you when you wake up, baby. Kiss… kiss, sweetheart. I love you baby, good nite." Michonne added after blowing kisses to her son and catching his and placing them on her cheek, which made Andre giggled.

"Love you, Mama. Good night."

After ending the call, Michonne was in the process of calling the restaurant when the doorbell rang. _Saved by the bell_ , she thought.

Opening the door she was expecting to see the delivery man with her food, but there before her underneath the Santa hat were the blue eyes of her colleague and for lack of a better description, her work husband, Rick Grimes dressed in his Santa suit carrying his red Christmas sack over one shoulder and a bag of take-out in the hand before him.

"Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!"


	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter 2_**

Michonne stood there for a moment in the open doorway, allowing the cold air inside. She was a little confused and tried to make sense of the picture before her. She knew she was a little tipsy, but she was pretty sure she had asked Rick for a raincheck to his invitation. Just then, however, her stomach growled and made the decision for her.

"Thanks and Merry Christmas to you too!" She said stepping aside and opening the door further to allow him enough room to manoeuvre his way inside and closed the door behind them.

"It's a good thing you brought food. The caretaker stocked the place, but everything requires cooking and I'm a tad tipsy for that." She rambled on nervously as he followed her to the kitchen.

"Wine?" She asked removing the second bottle from the fridge. "Don't mind if I do." She continued with nervous chatter not quite sure how to react to being alone in her home with her co-worker. It wasn't his first time there, she and Aaron had hosted barbeques to which he and his family were guests and her father had on occasion rented the place to host retreats, but it was the first time they would be alone together in such a casual setting. There had always been a line, a professional boundary between them, but tonight, they were both off the clock, so she wasn't sure about the context.

Rick placed the takeout on the marble countertop, but her unease wasn't lost on him; it was never his intent to make her feel uncomfortable especially in her own home.

"Michonne, if you're not comfortable with me being here... I can go."

"No, it's fine. You took me by surprise that's all, but I'm okay. You?"

"I'm fine…"

"Wine?"

"I'll have whatever you're drinking, thanks."

She passed the bottle to him to open, "Hungry?"

"I can eat," he replied still picking up on her nervous energy as she busied herself retrieving trays, plates, flatware, and an extra wine glass for their meal.

"Can I help you with anythang?"

"It's fine thanks, I can manage. I was surprised to see you out here, but I forgot you would be over in Arlington with your folks for the holidays given..." her words fell off as the similarities of their lives became obvious. She continued placing the containers of food on the trays. "I hope you don't mind eating sitting on the cushions on the floor in the family room, it's kinda my thing."

"Not at all, whatever makes you comfortable."

He smiled at her and accept the olive branch because apart from spending the night with his son, he couldn't imagine any other place on earth he'd rather be than where he was right this moment.

"Good. Grab that platter and follow me then."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied with his signature crooked smile prompting her to roll her eyes.

* * *

The family room was situated just past the living room, so it would be easy for one to keep an eye on the little ones while the grown-ups entertained themselves, but not close enough to be too distracting noise wise.

On this night, however, it was softly lit with pot lights, the Christmas lights from the tree which Michonne had decorated earlier, and the cozy fire in the fireplace. Michonne's special cinnamon candles were a glow on the end tables and on the mantle.

The room was now cozy and warm, filled with the scent of pine and cinnamon… apart from the Christmas tree and stocking hung by the fireplace, the decorations were on the sparse side, but still Christmassy enough for the type of Christmas Michonne was having this year.

The Christmas music on her playlist had changed for something more festive. At present, Nat crooned about chestnuts roasting on an open fire which made the atmosphere somewhat warmer.

Meanwhile, outdoors, the large velvety snowflakes continue to fall silently painting a picturesque winter scape around the lake where the naked trees stood like soldiers alongside its bank. The outdoor lights reflected off the frigid waters of the Barcroft near its shoreline as visibility slowly disappears with the fog rising over the lake.

Inside, the two friends sat on the floor across from one another choosing from the various appetizing dishes displayed on the coffee table. The dishes featured an array of enticing colours with the aroma of garlic, ginger, and cumin; a blend of hot, sweet and sour to tantalize one's taste buds. All of Michonne's favourite dishes had her mouth watering and her empty stomach growling which caused her to blush and Rick to chuckle.

"I'm sorry, but in my defence, that's only because someone hijacked my dinner." She added for clarification purposes.

"Mea Culpa!" He added raising his arms in mock surrender.

"So, when did Santa decide to make another appearance?" she asked with a smile.

Rick blushed, "I was halfway to my place when the thought came to me. But it was conditional of course…"

"Conditional? What, did you have to play eeny, meeny, miny, moe or something?"

"Nah, nothing quite so dramatic. It was conditional as to whether or not Santa could find the perfect gift or not".

"Oh? You brought me a gift?"' She asked surprised. She knew he wouldn't be expecting one, but, all the same, it suddenly mattered to her, so she searched her mind for what she might use as an emergency gift. A small smile tugged at her lips as a thought popped into her head. The gift she bought earlier that night for a party she would be attending in a few days would be perfect for him.

"Yeah, because Santa usually delivers gifts… What's that smile about?" He asked somewhat curious, but secretly happy that he was somehow responsible for it being there.

Michonne was warming up to the idea of his presence. It was evident because she began attacking her food with gusto, but then again, not much came between Michonne and her appetite.

"Nothing," she said after finishing a mouthful of noodles. "Don't you like your food?" she asked gesturing to his plate still laden with food.

Truth be told, Rick lost track of his appetite long ago, he was mesmerized just watching her eat.

"Nah, it's fine." He said and popped a chicken ball into his mouth blushing slightly at the fact of being caught openly staring at her like a schoolboy with his first crush.

He smiled back and offered to refill her wine, she accepted, but only if he would join her. He did.

 **…**

After dinner, Michonne directed Rick as he placed the gifts under the tree. It had to be done in a specific way given her folks would be joining her and Andre shortly after their return from their trip. The grandparents wanted to see their grandson open their gifts.

"I see you're just as bossy at home." He said jokingly.

Michonne didn't respond verbally, but her shoulders squared and she simply turned away. She knew his remark was said in jest, but it did hit a particularly sensitive mark.

The minute the words left his lips and seeing her reaction, he knew immediately it was the wrong thing to say. "Hey," he said walking over to where she stood, but still mindful enough to respect her personal space, he extended his hand touching her upper arm with two fingers. "I didn't mean to be insensitive. I'm sorry."

"It's okay… I'll be fine." Michonne said then inhaled deeply as she walked away towards the kitchen taking the time to compose herself. She came back with a bottle of champagne which was left there from the last party they hosted just before Thanksgiving. She passed him the bottle.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked.

"No, but I'm not sure about much these days."

He took the bottle from her and sat it on the coffee table. "I think we've had enough to drink. Plus, I still have to drive home."

"I'm not drunk". She said defensively.

"I never said that, but I think you're avoiding the issue… I've been told that I'm a pretty good listener, so I'm more than willing to listen as soon as I'm done my job of course."

Michonne ignored his remark, drained the remainder of her glass and points to the remaining bag of gifts to be emptied and placed under the tree.

* * *

Rick and Michonne sat on opposite ends of the sofa admiring their hard work. Both were quiet, but there was a nervous energy between the two of them.

 _Santa baby, slip a sable under the tree, for me_

 _I've been an awful good girl_

 _Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight_

Madonna's song, however, inspired the next moment. Michonne jumped up from the sofa and was about to leave the room.

Rick was surprised by her sudden reaction, "Hey, was it something I said?" he asked.

"In a manner of speaking, yes. I'll be right back," she said as she left the room.

A few minutes later, Michonne came back with one hand behind her back, but Rick knew from her actions and the small smile on her beautiful face what she was about to do.

"I can't have any of that," he said extending his hand to stop her while shaking his head. "Santa delivers gifts and he gets milk and cookies in exchange, so whatever's behind your back it's contraband. We can't have you deviating from the Christmas tradition, counselor."

Michonne frowned. "Fine, guilty as charged, so when do I get my gift, Santa?" She asks petulantly looking like a much younger version of herself with pouted heart-shaped lips.

The look caused a reaction in Rick's pants, one he was definitely trying to stave off. Tonight, he just wanted to bask in her light not make thangs any more complicated than they needed to be.

"Well, that all depends on you."

"Oh?" She answered back as she reclaimed her spot on the sofa.

 _Think of all the fun I've missed_

 _Think of all the fellas that I haven't kissed_

 _Next year I could be oh so good_

 _If you'd check off my Christmas list_

 _Boo doo bee doo_

"It all depends on whether you want to talk or open your gift first."

"I don't recall agreeing to the first part. Furthermore, I thought the gift came with no strings apart from the cookies and milk which are clearly displayed in full and final payment of said gift for which I am told, contraband is deemed to be prohibited. Ergo, can talk not be construed as unnecessary?"

"You've made your point, counselor. We're off the clock and we can't bill this to anythang, so let's just relax. But should you ever need to talk about it… I'm willing to listen, no judgment whatsoever."

 _Come and trim my Christmas tree_

 _With some decorations bought at Tiffany's_

 _I really do believe in you_

 _Let's see if you believe in me_

 _Boo doo bee doo_

Rick then walked over to his Santa sack and pulled out an oddly shaped gift and return to claim his place on the sofa.

Michonne's eyes tracked his bowlegged strut from the sofa and back with a raised brow at the strange shape gift in his hand.

 _Santa baby, forgot to mention one little thing, a ring  
I don't mean a phone  
Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight  
Hurry down the chimney tonight  
Hurry down the chimney tonight_

Rick knew Michonne enough to know her curiosity was killing her. "It's killing you to know, isn't it?" he asks teasingly relishing in having the upper hand if only momentarily.

"Maybe a little. What is it?" she asks trying hard to be nonchalant, but he knew her enough to know different because she was very curious by nature.

He moistened his pink lips and said, "If you had to guess, what would it be?"

Michonne thought about it for a minute, "I dunno… the wrapping looks like a speech bubble."

Rick turned the gift around in his hand examining it and she was right, it looked it jumped right out of one of his son's comics.

"You happen to be right about that, but that's not it."

"Rick, I give up. I can't think of anythang that looks like that."

 _Now Mama's in the kitchen cookin'_

 _And her children are fast asleep_

 _It's time for Santa Claus_

 _To make his midnight creep 'cause_

 _Santa Claus wants some lovin'_

 _Santa Claus wants some lovin'_

"So soon, counselor? I'm surprised you didn't ask to touch it."

The lyrics registered a little too late, as soon as the words left his lips, Rick felt the heat creeping up his neck as his complexion changed to a lighter version of his Santa suit.

Michonne chuckled from his reaction and the fact that her playlist now seems to be shuffling from one section only.

"Drink?" she asked offering the contraband gift bag to him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Merry Christmas, sis. Boy, do you ever look like shit. You really should have come with us.

"I look like shit because I let my guard down and asked myself, " _What would Sasha say?_

"I hate that you stayed behind, we're family and we should be together especially at times like this."

"I know, but it couldn't be helped, neither one of us was willing to give up Christmas with Andre. It had to be this way."

"I understand. I do. Divorce sucks. So lemme guess, you listened to me and you had fun, right?" Sasha asked raising a bottle to her lips and taking a sip then cackled as she swayed in the hammock strung between two trees.

The view, the little that Michonne could see was magnificent. There were hues of soft yellow and gold against the blue sky as the sun hung suspended over the horizon with what looked like an explosion of small fluffy clouds dotting a blue backdrop. In the distance, the golden ray reflected off the water's surface dividing the silvery coloured waves rolling gently in tight succession as they made their way to the shore.

The property had a premium hillside view which was typical given Montserrat's hilly terrain. The tropical colours gave Michonne a slight pang of longing as she looked out her living room onto the Barcroft which was the complete opposite. It was frozen still and night had fallen, so it was lit with the outdoor lights and Christmas lights. It had been snowing steadily since Christmas Eve with no end in sight, so there were at least three inches of fresh snow in the backyard, which caused Michonne to shudder involuntarily. There was also a slight chill in the air, so she walked towards the family room to stoke the fire.

After Andre had opened his gifts, she avoided the room as much as she could save for tending the fire because she didn't want the memories that lived there, but she loved the smell of a wood fire. It was one of her favourites rooms in the house and her favourite place to chill while preparing Christmas dinner, but today she could no longer bring herself to spend any time there.

"Really, Sasha, I'm not even sure why I even bother to talk to you," Michonne said as she massaged her left temple because of the dull throbbing, which seemed to have taken up residence there. It persisted despite the fact she had taken several Advils throughout what seemed to be an extraordinarily long day.

"I do. It's because I'm so awesome. So, what did I tell you to do, sweetie?" She said with a knowing smile.

"Aaron was right, you know?"

"Really, what about?

"You're a bad influence."

"He said that? What the hell does he know anyway?"

"Yes because whenever I'm around you, dear sister, my judgement always seems to be impaired." Michonne chuckled at the memory of the last time they went to dinner and they ended up having to call their father to pick them up because dinner ended with drinks in a Karaoke bar.

"In my defence, I'm the younger sister, so you should be the one influencing me not the other way around. That being said, you were never bored, right?"

"Sash, I lost that position the minute Camila brought Rosita home." Michonne retorted.

"Touché, but don't change the subject… talk to me, what did you do, Michonne?"

"I let you into my head, Sash. I let you in my damn head and…"

"Oh my god, sis. You did it, didn't you?"

"I admit to nothing, Sash, when you get home we should have a girls night or a spa day or something. Maybe Abe could watch the boys for us, if not I'm sure the parents will be happy to do so."

Michonne blushed slightly as she recalls the night before and her still sensitive lady parts. She could still feel Rick's phantom touch all over her body, she also remembers the taste of him and his scent. She knew she was fucked both literally and metaphorically speaking, there was no coming back from it. She thought one night of something new would sate her dry spell, but she was so wrong, it only left her thirsty as fuck, the very thought alone made her head hurt even more.

She knew her sister was feeling no pain given that she was drinking yet again. Sasha's level of directness was in keeping with the amount of alcohol she consumed and she was being messy as shit.

"Of course, whatever you need sis. Abe will do a lot more too," Sasha said with a wink, "All you gotta do is say the word and you know that. No fuss no muss and with no identifiable trace marks."

"Sash, Abe is to stay from the hell away from Aaron, I don't care that he's an ex-commando, cop or not, I mean it. Aaron's still family because he's Andre's father. You do remember your favourite nephew, right? Well, he still needs a daddy." Michonne added with a serious tone.

"Fine," she said feigning hurt. "So, how bout' giving your favourite sister the Cliff Notes version, eh? Was it good?"

"Oh my god, you're so drunk. Sash, and when, have I ever done that before? You're confusing us, little sis. TMI is yours and Abe's bag. Plus, for the record, I'm your only sister."

"You're just jealous that's all. How's my favourite nephew, Andre doing?"

"Andre's a little disappointed because his father had to leave and he never saw him for Christmas. Right now, he's asleep in my bed."

"Poor thing. I was sorry to hear about Catherine. How's it looking?" Sasha asked with the concern.

"She's not good, Sash. You know he wanted Andre and me to go with him?"

"You gotta be shitting me, right?"

"Sasha, do you kiss your children with that mouth of yours? But no, I kid you not. He came out to me, but not to his folks, so from the emails I received Catherine thought the fact I was sick over Thanksgiving meant we were expecting. By the way, that was the excuse we gave for not going down for the weekend. He never corrected them otherwise. They don't even know we're getting divorced."

"That piece of shit… you deserve so much better, Chonne."

"I know, Sash. I know. But right now my only priority is the little man."

"I understand, sweetie. You both need time to adjust to your new reality. You were with him half your life, so It'll take you some time, but fear not, sis… I won't be too far away with all kinds of bad choices to spice up your mundane life."

"Thanks. I love you, Sash. See you in the New Year".

"Love you too, Chonne. Bye for now."

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Grimes household, Rick tucked his exhausted son into bed, turned the lamp on, let himself out of the room, and closed the door behind him.

Earlier, the family spent the hours after supper unwrapping gifts. Carl's energy, however, waned after playing with his latest collection of superheroes he received and more particularly those from the "Infinity War" and "Black Panther" universe. He paid little attention to the other gifts he received.

Finally alone in his room, Rick had some quiet time to reflect on the past twenty-four hours and the promises both he and Michonne made to one another, but he could not figure out how they were going keep them. They were both lawyers and they knew just how messy things could get, but neither of them could deny the undeniable chemistry once she sat on his lap to collect her gift. There was a surge of electricity between them and all pretenses were over. Sure, the alcohol didn't help the situation any, but he was not foolish enough to believe one night was ever going to be enough for them.

He knew he was fucked from the moment she asked whether she could sit on Santa's lap to receive her gift. Her argument was sound, she had used his traditional Christmas expectations regarding Santa against him.

He should have tried dissuading her, but he didn't. He was weak, but it if truth be told he had many fantasies in his head of her straddling him, so sitting on his lap was tame in comparison. He told himself he could handle the situation, after all, it would last no more than thirty seconds. He would give her the gift she'd get off his lap and open it, but no, Michonne broke all of her own rules that night.

They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions, well he built that road in one night. Try as he might, he could not envision how they could just go back to being work husband and work wife. He needed her like he needs air to survive.

Here he was laying in bed and his head was swirling with thoughts of their one night stand with a tent in his bedsheet. His thoughts vacillated between picking up his phone which sat on the night table nearby, but according to the rules, there was to be no contact outside of work, and even while at work their relationship had to be strictly professional. _What the fuck was he thinking?_ He should have called it a night and left with some boundaries intact.

So he was now left with one of two choices, one was to take a cold shower or two, rubbing one out. He chose the latter, so he slid his hand beneath the covers and wrapped it around his painful erection with images of Michonne's full heart-shaped lips wrapped around his rock hard veiny throbbing cock. The image of his manhood disappearing inch by inch into her hot wet mouth as she moaned with her chocolate brown eyes fixed on his made his cock harder. The feel of her soft small hand around his firm girth and the silkiness of her warm tongue flatten against his manhood and the way she lapped playfully at his bulbous head with mischief in her eyes as she enjoyed his slow torture.

Rick stroked his cock faster as he replays the mind-blowing blow job he received the night before. He never wanted that feeling to end, but as he recalls the image of Michonne taking his balls into her hot wet mouth, and the feel of her velvety tongue around his balls and the popping sound as she released them, he groaned. He came undone remembering being swallowed up whole in her mouth, the way her lips slid up and down his shaft, and the look of content on her face as she swallowed all he had to offer and licked her lips. He was fucked. His balls tightened once more and he grunts as his cock jerked several times releasing his seed onto his stomach. "Fuck!" he said with the conviction of a man totally resigned to his fate.

* * *

Michonne tossed and turned in her king-size bed next to her son. Her body was thoroughly exhausted, but her mind would not let go the memories of the night before which she was trying so hard to block.

A ray of hope flickers in the sky

A tiny star lights up way up high

All across the land dawns a brand new morn

This comes to pass when a child is born

His hot breath was on her as he held her on top of him, her breasts flopping about as he drove into her relentlessly, her body was on the verge of collapsing from the multiple orgasms she already experienced that night. She felt like a rag doll, his rag doll fucked senseless. At this point, she wasn't even sure she knew her own name or the day of the week. But, she was certain of one thing, her pussy was pulsating around his cock and she was about to cum yet again, so she yelled his name, but it came out more like a plea for mercy.

In response, he released his load deep inside of her followed by a guttural moan. They both sounded like wounded animals. She fell on top of him barely clinging to life; both panting loudly, hearts racing trying to recover from the latest round of mind-blowing sex he unleashed on her. He kissed the top of her head but kept his arm firmly around her body as if he thought she still had energy enough to move.

 _A silent wish sails the seven seas_

 _The winds have changed whisper in the trees_

 _And the walls of doubt crumble tossed and torn_

 _This comes to pass when a child is born_

Michonne had no idea her body was capable of taking the kind of punishment Rick doled out. _How the hell could things ever be normal between them again?_

She had listened to her sister's voice in her head, _"The best way to get over one dick is to get under another one... Don't worry, sweetie, you still got it going on because that bow-legged hottie at the office has got the hots for you. Seriously, the man's eyes follow you wherever you go. Personally, I think it's your arse that has him mesmerized, he most definitely wants to put his junk in your trunk. I swear girl, the way he looks at you… that man's thirsty as fuck. You sure you two ain't never…?"_

She had worked closely with Rick Grimes for years but never saw him in that light until Sasha's comments which were only meant to boost her confidence. Now, she had taken it to the extreme and slept with a co-worker, but not just any colleague, one recently separated, it was a cluster fuck of epic proportions. She fucked up… Royally.

 _A/N: Thank you for the wonderful holiday wishes. Have a happy & safe New Year!_


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I apologize for the delay, but inspiration now comes and goes so fast... I'm missing my Richonne Muse. Thanks for the holiday wishes. Wishing y'all the very best for 2019.

* * *

 _2:30 a.m. Christmas morning..._

 _After speaking with his father, Aaron got out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweater. His partner, Daryl did the same thing._

 _"_ _You can get Andre together while I gather his things. Oh and yeah you might wanna call her," Daryl added as he pulled on his jeans and a sweater._

 _Aaron was deep in thought, he hadn't heard a word that was said, since his father said he needs to come back to Fort Benning, though they actually lived in Columbus, Georgia more like six miles away from the actual base itself. His father's reference point for some reason was always whichever base he lived closest to._

 _In the case of Fort Benning, his father actually lived there when he was a child as he was a_ _military_ _brat, but Leon Marquand didn't want that kind of life for his family. Instead, he settled for a life where his family was settled, but he moved around. It was the reason he jumped at the chance when a recruiter proposed Quantico as an option. A choice his father never respected. Nevertheless, Leon and his young wife, Catherine relocated to Virginia shortly after college and remained there until his folks got sick. At that point, they were retired, so they moved back to Columbus to be closer to them. Their only regret, however, was that the move cost them precious time with their only grandchild, but they made up for it with short visits._

 _"_ _Ground control to Marquand. Come in Marquand," Daryl called as he busied himself pulling on a pair of socks._

 _"_ _Huh? What?"_

 _"_ _You got out of bed and got dressed after hearing from your father, so I presumed we were heading to your ex's and then to Columbus... Calls in the middle of the night are never a good sign, so it means somethang's wrong."_

 _"_ _Umm… yeah, it's mom… she had a stroke." Aaron answered trying to prioritize an imaginary list as to what next. Eventually, he started texting, stopped and called instead, but the call went directly to voicemail. He didn't leave a message. Instead, he sent a text._

 _Aaron_ _: Michonne, dad called… mom suffered a major stroke. I'm dropping Andre off and heading out as soon as I can. I' ll see you in about thirty minutes weather permitting. Call me!_

 ** _…_**

 _Forty minutes later, as Aaron pulls up at their lake house. He sees his wife's car in the driveway, but there was also a black Mercedes SUV too. The car wasn't familiar and her family was out of town, it was also the wee hours of Christmas morning, so he wondered who it could be?_

 _Aaron parked the car and got out. As he did so he noticed the car must have been there quite some time because the tire tracks, as well as some rather large footprints, were covered with snow, but the indentations in the snow remained. He also noticed Michonne's smaller prints and the trail she made dragging the tree inside. They too were covered for some time._

 _After unbuckling his son and removing him from his booster seat, he said, "D, this isn't how she was supposed to meet you, so no drama, please."_

 _"_ _Oh, hon there will be drama, but not from me. I promise." Daryl retorted knowing had he not given Aaron an ultimatum at their one-year anniversary, he would still be in the shadows._

 _As Aaron approached the door he saw the tracks leading halfway out, but then they doubled back to the house again._

 _Daryl too noticed the same footprints and the way Aaron was studying them and from the way, his jaw was set it was not going to be a pretty sight inside._

 _It was obvious the person who made them was still inside, so Daryl bit his tongue. Aaron had yet to come fully to terms with his new reality. He often referred to Michonne as his wife although technically they were, it still irked Daryl to hear it. He realized, however, he would have to be patient given he pursued Aaron and made him realize that something was missing in his life. He knew he couldn't eradicate what she once meant to Aaron, but at the same time, he needed that page turned and luckily it seems she has moved on, so for that he was happy. It was now up to him to help Aaron a long the way._

 _Aaron unlocked the door, but it didn't trigger the alarm. He shook his head, things will never change he thought. He installed a state of_ _art_ _security system to give him peace of mind while he was travelling, but his wife constantly forgets to engage it while she was at home, as a result, he was constantly reminding her to do so. He closed the door behind him and toed off his unzipped boots while holding his sleeping son and bracing himself on the wall._

 _He then noticed a pair of men's boots next to Michonne's winter boots, so he squared his shoulders and prepared himself for what he was about to discover._

 ** _..._**

 _After carefully undressing his son and tucking him into bed, he kissed Andre's forehead, turned off the overhead lights, leaving only the night light on and left the room._

 _Aaron walked down the hallway towards the master bedroom, but the door had been left wide open they were not inside._

 ** _..._**

 _"_ _Michonne."_

 _"_ _Michonne. Wake up!" He whispers._

 _Michonne felt his fingers poking at her, but her head felt twice its usual size. What the hell was she thinking? She had to cook and entertain a four-year-old in a matter of hours._

 _"_ _Counselor, you were right. I regret the Tequila, but_ _I really can't, my head's poundin_ _g," she said in a raspy voice. He was insatiable even without a headache she couldn't… she was exhausted something he ought to have been after the night they had. It's the reason for which she would be going straight to bed the moment he leaves. The only good thing about cooking dinner for a four-year-old was that chicken fingers or KD and a little bit of something green would be an acceptable Christmas dinner and she'd still be considered an awesome mommy because Andre's only goal today, was getting at what Santa left under the tree._

 _"_ _Michonne!" The voice became more forceful… it sounded strained and annoyed, she knew that tone because she's heard it before usually after she spent time with her sister. Instantly, it cut through the fog and the drumming inside of her head._

 _Her eyes popped open to see Aaron's face inches away from hers. Michonne blinked several times, but the image was static. Aaron was still there the only change was the colour in his cheeks and the expression on his face. He was pissed._

 _"_ _Shit!" She said under her breath. Feeling self-conscious, Michonne began wrapping herself in the blanket, but then realized the more she pulled on it the more she was revealing Rick's nakedness to the man who was soon to be her ex-husband. She immediately stopped what she was doing, sat up and reached for the Santa jacket which was discarded on the floor nearby and put it on._

 _Meanwhile, Rick's comatose figure_ _lay_ _next to her snoring gently completely oblivious to the storm brewing next to him._

 ** _…_**

 _Michonne followed Aaron towards the kitchen. He immediate retrieves a glass from the cupboard filling it with tap water, then he retrieves a bottle of Advil pouring two gelcaps into the bottle cap turns to her and placed them into her outstretched palm. He looked at her with silent judgement in his eyes._

 _In response, Michonne plopped the pills into her mouth and swallowed them. She ignored him because she was not in the mood for his hypocrisy._

 _"_ _Here you go," he said passing her the glass of water to chase the pills._

 _"_ _Thanks," she said begrudgingly. Michonne then turned off the overhead lights because the glare of them was hurting her eyes, she opted only for the light which filtered in from the hallway as she rubs her temples and used the archway to hold herself upright._

 _"_ _What are you doing here, Aaron?" She asks. She heard the sound of the front door opening and closing, she figured Rick had left only to look up to see his bed head curls, piercing blue eyes, and days old stubble. He was shirtless and dressed only in his Santa bottoms on his way to check on her, but unaware of Aaron's presence in the kitchen._

 _He yawned and stretched_ _lazily, "Everythang all right?" he asks, when he suddenly stops to give some grungy looking man who happened to walk through the front door carrying bags of gifts a head tilt with squinted eyes._

 _"_ _Oh shit!" Michonne said to herself having the knowledge and vantage point none of the others had._

 _Michonne's brain was hurting, but she knew this wasn't a good situation to be in. She heard about his famous head tilts from some of their colleagues. It was one of his tells announcing his displeasure especially when an articling student fucked up, another tell of his was the pinching of the bridge of his nose. That one, she had witnessed countless times before._

 _"_ _What am I doing here? I'm still your husband and we have a child together, one who is currently upstairs in his bed."_

 _"_ _That's a technicality for now and you know it."_

 _"_ _I'm sorry, I didn't know you would be entertaining so soon, Michonne, but this isn't the kinda thing I want Andre to see."_

 _"_ _It's friggin three o'clock in the morning Aaron, you were supposed to drop him off at four o'clock in the afternoon." She argued in a loud whisper._

 _"_ _Can't say that I'm surprised though... it was bound to happen sooner or later. Does his wife know he's sleeping with another man's wife?"_

 _"_ _Fuck you, Aaron! Michonne replied angrily at what was implied, but she didn't feel guilty about what happened that night because it was obvious to her that their marriage had been over long before she got the memo. Who was this person before her? She didn't recognize him anymore. When did he change? How did she not see it before?_

 _"_ _What are you doing here and who the fuck is that in my house?" Michonne then looked to her right and noticed the standoff was still in progress._

 _The mystery man was dressed in a black leather jacket, dark jeans, and boots. He had dark greasy stringy long hair that fell into his face which was covered in facial hair. The man's appearance looked as though it had been a while since he was acquainted with soap and water something which struck her funny due to Aaron's fastidious nature again another contradiction to the man she knew._

 _The man looked from Rick towards her with the same judgement she saw in Aaron's eyes and that was it, Michonne snapped. She walked over to the front entrance and stood beside Rick._

 _"_ _You can leave them just there," she instructed rather tersely pointing her finger to indicate just inside the doorway. As such, there was no need for him to remove his boots or to be in her home. His presence was clearly not welcome._

 _The man said nothing but continued to stand in place holding the bags and staring at them._

 _"_ _You hard of hearing or somethang?" Rick finally spoke and took a step forward in front of Michonne. "The lady said you to place the bags just inside the doorway, it ain't that fucking complicated."_

 _But the man did not react one way on or the other._

 _Rick's tone, however, prompted Aaron to join them at the front entrance._

 _"_ _D, just leave 'em there and wait for me in the car... I got this."_

 _The man named 'D' replied with a grunt, sat the bags down, and left leaving the front door wide open allowing the snow and cold air to filter indoors._

 _"_ _What the fuck, Aaron, couldn't you have at least chosen a partner who's house trained?" Michonne asked as she closed the door in the stranger's wake._

 _Aaron then turned to Rick and said, "Do you mind if I speak to my wife in private? This is about family... and you are not," he added as a parting shot as he walked away towards the family room._

 _Rick looked at Michonne to see whether she wanted to be alone with the man who somehow seemed to have forgotten he no longer wanted a wife but constantly claimed her as such._

 _"_ _You, okay?"_

 _"_ _I'm sorry, this shouldn't take long. I need to find out about Andre."_

 ** _…_**

 _"_ _Is Andre okay?"_

 _"_ _He's fine. Dad called… mom had a stroke. I have to go back to Columbus."_

 _"_ _Oh my God, Aaron, I'm so sorry. How bad is it?" She asked immediately feeling sorry for him._

 _"_ _We don't know as yet, but I thought I"d go on ahead and you and Andre can come down after he has had Christmas, there's no reason to ruin It for him. I'm going to go straight to the hospital… here take this…" he said passing her his parent's keys, "The code is Andre's birthday."_

 _Michonne made no effort one way or the other to retrieve the keys._

 _Aaron looked at her puzzled as to why her hands remained at her side._

 _"_ _We're not going to Columbus with you, Aaron. This is something you need to do on your own."_

 _"_ _You're going to deny his sick grandmother the chance at what might be last time to see her only grandchild?"_

 _"_ _No, Aaron. But right now your father needs to lean on you. There's no room for Andre at this time. You have a partner to support you… I'm not needed there. Should things change, Andre and I will fly down later."_

 _"_ _Michonne, I wouldn't have asked if it was that simple. Things are a little complicated right now."_

 _His last remark took some time to process, but eventually, the fog lifted and when the realization set in Michonne was finally able to see… his parents didn't know about the status of their marriage. The emails from Catherine looking forward to her being in better health and a holiday filled with glad tidings meant his parents thought she was expecting. The realization caused Michonne to shake her head._

 _"_ _You bastard, you never told them, did you? Get out of my house, Aaron. Just leave and don't forget to leave your keys on the kitchen counter… you'll need to ring the doorbell like everyone else. You don't live here anymore."_

* * *

It had been two weeks since Michonne last spoke with Aaron. She didn't mind that, but what annoyed her most was the fact that he hadn't called his son. It was unacceptable, to punish their son because she refused to be apart of his deception towards his folks was never going to be okay. She had just left him a message stating that she understood he was in mourning, but their son also needed his attention. He was a father and he didn't just get to check out.

Today was her first day back to work after the holidays. Presently, she was sitting in her office absentmindedly playing with her Christmas gift, waiting for the meeting that was about to happen, the one that would place her and Rick in the very same room since Christmas. It was not something she was looking forward to because she had yet to come to terms with her feelings about him. She couldn't understand it herself, nothing about that night was expected.

Michonne was running late for her meeting, Mrs. Miller had been monitoring the light on her phone line. Her father had called looking for her, so she gently knocked on the door, but Michonne didn't respond.

"Michonne. Michonne?" Mrs. Miller called as she opened the door to Michonne's office to find her looking at what seemed to be a multicoloured paper-mache cat which appears to have been captured ready to pounce. The cat bore a striking resemblance to the framed piece of artwork her son gave to her for mother's day. She recalled how excited Andre was when his grandfather picked him up from the onsite daycare a few floors down and brought him to his mama's office that day. Ever since it had been framed and hung in her office and she often found her boss staring at the painting, now she was playing with a 3D paper-mache version of it while staring at the artwork. It was obvious she was preoccupied.

* * *

After their weekend celebrating Christmas with her parents, her mother suggested she took some time off work because they saw a huge difference in their grandson's behaviour. He wasn't his usual energetic self, so her mom made some calls and Michonne now had appointments set up for counselling for Andre.

Her father also proposed scaling back her hours and moving toward the corporate side of things, possibly in HR so that she could have a better work-life balance. Michonne offered a compromise, she'd take time off to concentrate on her son and would reevaluate thing's after a month because she was a litigator, not a paper pusher.

 **…**

Rick was summoned to Ezekiel's office, so he knocked on the door. He was a little surprised to being summoned on the boss' first day back to work.

"Ah, Richard, do come on in." Ezekiel beckoned with a smile which did not reach his eyes.

Ordinarily, his boss was chill, sometimes a little dramatic, but someone who was always happy. Today, however, there was something different about him, he was still Ezekiel, but more reserved.

Walking into the office It took him a split second to pick up her perfume. It had been fourteen days of hell without seeing her and with no contact whatsoever. He had hoped she was a little affected by the night they spent together, but obviously, he was wrong. A meeting with the boss and Michonne wasn't something he had envisioned so soon.

The men greeted each other with the typical handshake and everyone exchanged greetings for the new year. "Please." Ezekiel extends his hand indicating the empty chair to Rick. He sat down in the empty seat next to Michonne in front of Ezekiel's desk.

"Richard, I will get straight to the point as matters are pressing. As you may or may not know, Mrs. Marquand will be scaling back her workload to deal with some personal matters and in that vein, I'm transferring some of her workload to you. I trust you will be up for the challenge."

The use of her formal name irked Rick, even more so now, especially after the night they spent together, but moreover, given the fact that they all knew she was practically divorced. He hated that name. He never understood why Ezekiel called her that, especially when Michonne called him Dad or Sir in the workplace, Tyrese was just Tyrese, why couldn't she be just Michonne?

He didn't like the way they left things between them. She had been upset because of Aaron's visit and she didn't feel like talking, so he left it at that and gave her the space she needed.

Today, however, she looked and act the part of having it together, but something wasn't right. She was preoccupied. He hated not being able to console her publicly or otherwise.

Rick stole a glance at Michonne to gauge whether she was okay with her father's proposal. Michonne gave him a quick look, she seemed to be, so he replied, "I am, but I would appreciate it if I would be able to consult freely with Mrs. Marquand whenever the need arise."

He held his breath waiting for an objection, but none came, so he knew he had won; their agreement had just been dealt a major setback.

"Absolutely, Richard, Mrs. Marquand and I discussed the matter at length. She assures me she would be available to assist you though she assures me that would hardly be necessary given that her files are all in good order.

Michonne saw the small victory reflected in Rick's contentment. Thanks to her father, he was now able to contact her outside of work hours and she had no doubt he would use it to his advantage, but she needed him to be smart about it. Accessibility was a deal breaker for her father, he was willing to accommodate her time off to be with her son, his grandson, but he still had a business to run, so if Rick felt the need to contact her, he had her father's blessing to do so. It wasn't as if she could say strictly business only because that would be a whole different lecture altogether.

* * *

 _Christmas Eve…_

 _"_ _How the hell did we get here?" Michonne asked as she passed him another Tequila shot._

 _"_ _I don't know about you, but I got here when I walked in on my buddy and my wife in the sixty-nine position in our bed two days before our anniversary."_

 _"_ _Oh my God, that must have been hard to witness."_

 _"_ _I suspected she was having an affair… even had her followed for a time too, but nothing turned up. The private dick I had on her told me he felt sorry taking money from me, but he still had to account for his time. I was right though, I just never would have guessed it was with someone I considered family."_

 _"_ _That sucks."_

 _"_ _Got to love the irony of it all though, I convinced Andrea to let him stay with us. I mean… we had plenty of room, so we took him in... gave him a place to stay because his wife, Lori threw him out when she found out he was servicing Doc Anderson's wife too. Apparently, Jessie videotaped them and sent it to Lori when he tried to break things off._

 _"_ _Is this the friend who got shot while on duty?"_

 _"_ _Yeah, that's Shane."_

 _"_ _Wait… Shane? Is he the same one who washed out in the first year of law school?"_

 _"_ _One in the very same. He was too fucking busy banging coeds to go to class."_

 _"_ _What exactly were you thinking when you knowingly invited a fox to guard your henhouse? You already knew he didn't respect the sanctity of marriage. He was cheating on his wife with a married woman. He was safe as long as his wife didn't find out, it was the perfect scenario which gave him a get out of jail card if things got out of hand with his lover."_

 _"_ _Call me stupid, but I thought Andrea would be off limits," He said, licked the salt from his hand, he tilted his head back and took the shot, and sucked on the lime._

 _"_ _We sheltered him, fed him, and never expected a penny in return."_

 _"_ _Money wasn't necessary obviously."_

 _"_ _Who knew? She always wanted the best of everythang and like a fool, I made sure she got it."_

 _"_ _Do you have any regrets?"_

 _Rick thought for a minute, he did regret not having listened to his mother when he announced they were getting married. She told him he was making a mistake because he could still be a father without marrying Andrea because she wasn't the marrying kind._

 _"_ _I don't regret my son, but knowing what I do now, yes. How about you, counselor, do you have any regrets?"_

 _"_ _Like you, I don't regret my son. However, I regret not realizing the moment when we became roommates instead of being a couple, it would have saved me the hurt and betrayal I felt at the time. I guess I'm angry at myself for not knowing."_

 _"_ _You can't blame yourself, it's not your fault Michonne."_

 _"_ _Tequila?"_

 _"_ _Do you think it's wise to continue drinking?"_

 _"_ _Maybe not, but just one more and then Santa can give me my present since you're being so stingy with yours."_

* * *

 _Six weeks later..._

It was Friday evening and Michonne knew she had to see him alone, but it couldn't be done at her place due to the fact his estranged wife now had someone staking out her place and it wasn't a conversation they could have during regular business hours either. The safest place to do so, however, was still the workplace, plus, there were always bodies around even on the weekends, so she wouldn't be completely alone with him in light of their new circumstances. So, she composed a text and edited it several times just in case before hitting send.

Michonne: Hey. Are you working tomorrow?

Rick: I am. Everythang okay with you?

Michonne: Yes. We need to talk. Is 11:00 a.m. okay with you?

Rick: That works for me.

Michonne: Thanks.

 **...**

Michonne sat staring at the computer screen without seeing it. In her hands was the paper-mache multi-coloured cat which had become like a teddy bear even though it was a very hard object.

Rick knocked lightly at the door of her office not wanting to startle her. It was quieter than a usual workday, so he wasn't competing with the usual workday din, but there was no answer, so he knocked a little louder.

"Come in," Michonne said after being pulled from her contemplation. She placed the cat to the side next to the photo of Andre she took on their recent vacation.

Rick opened the door with one hand, in his other he held a tray with two coffees.

"Mornin' counselor." He smiled when he saw her gift next to Andre's photo.

"Beautiful shot. You have a knack for that," he said as he motioned his head to indicate the newest photo of her son.

"Mornin'. Oh… thank you!" Michonne answered still somewhat distracted as she thought of the best way to tell him the news.

"A penny for your thoughts," he said offering her a coffee.

"Thanks, but I can't. Please sit down."

Her reaction had him perplexed. They usually brought the other coffee. "Michonne, what's the matter? Is it because of my meeting with Ezekiel yesterday?"

"You met with him yesterday?"

"Yes, I don't know how far you've gotten with your inbox, but we settled the Hastings case a few days ago. Once Ezekiel read me in on what was going on with you, I tried to respect your time off, so I didn't contact you. Plus, I knew your files wouldn't be a problem, I was looking for an ace in my pocket and won it fair and square."He added with his signature crooked smile.

His eyes sparkled showing that he was truly proud of himself for getting around their agreement.

"Congratulations counselor!"

"Well, I can't take credit for it because you laid the groundwork for me. I was just babysitting it. I didn't have to lift a finger actually when the defense changed players the impasse was unlocked. It was never in their best interest to go to trial anyway."

"I truly appreciate all your help, Rick and thank you for giving me some space."

Rick offered a small smile, still uncomfortable with the way things were left between them.

"Well, about last night, your father and I had an informal chat about becoming a partner."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, we were having drinks when I got your text." He added a little uncomfortable knowing how she felt about her brother's promotion. "Look, Michonne, I didn't say yes. I know this position was yours. I told him I was interested, but I had to think about it, the present situation considered. He said he understood, but he wants me to know that my hard work is appreciated."

"You should accept it, Rick. You deserve it. You have consistently pitched in and taken on more than your fair share… it's more than I can say for Ty, but that's not really why I wanted to see you."

"No? Does that mean the cat's worn you down?"

"I really like it, the likeness is uncanny. Thanks again."

"I had nothang to do with that… Mrs. Miller says your father found it for you just like he framed that painting." He winked at her and bit his bottom lip.

"Oh yeah, I forgot… we have nothing more to talk about then. I got the wrong guy."

"Huh?"

"Well, a guy in a red suit gave me that cat."

"Oh yeah?" He asked intrigued. "Well, I guess you must have been on his good list then. All I got was a bottle of very expensive Tequila that night."

"That not all… he also delivered something else too… I'm six weeks pregnant." As the words left Michonne's lips she watched his reaction. He didn't disappoint her. After the initial shock wore off his eyes grew large.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. The doctor confirmed it yesterday."

 _ **THE END!**_

 _Note: due to the fact this was a themed story, I will continue their story in another short fic. The current working title "Starting Over"._


End file.
